Monday, December 17, 2012

Zen Cycling

Anthony Golding introduces the eight precepts of zycling and
explains how to wheel freely.

There are a few principles that can help you on your way to really
appreciating of the joys of zycling:

1. There must be no sense of urgency

So, as you cycle along mostly traffic-free routes or very minor roads, even
though you may have considered some kind of destination (e.g. camp-site, staying
with people, a city or town even a railway station), try to avoid the tendency
to constantly check the time or the distance to your destination. Your
destination is really often a place that you didn't anticipate when you started.
Once I was visiting my meditation group which was quite a distance, and I was
hoping to put the folder in someone's car for the return trip, but the car was
full. The host offered me a bed for the night. At first I declined, as I hadn't
anticipated staying over, but I didn’t really need to go home for the night – so
I accepted. As someone who often needs to be in control, this felt really good
for me.

2. Leave the radio, music players, cell-phones and (if you can) your watch
at home

What we are trying to create is a sense of being in the now. This requires as
little outside stimulation as is possible. One then notices one's habitual
tendencies and those familiar distractions. So one's attention begins to focus
on the slowly passing surroundings, bird sound, smell of the crops, changing
temperature, and the silence that you suddenly become aware of, the muscular
effort of going uphill and the exhilaration down the other side with the
relaxing feeling in the legs.
I must confess, once when cycling along a bike trail in Washington with the
cascades on my left and the Skagit river on the right, I switched on the tranny
and the Garrison Keilllor show on PBS came on – which completed this ideal
American scene.

3. Staying silent during parts of the day

When I'm not cycling, I find myself being over-sociable, and generating too
much interest and excitement. But on the bike the need to chat falls away as I
focus on those points in precept 2. A passing wave or smile is all that's
necessary.

4. Responding to and befriending your surroundings

This is the contrast to precept 3. The idea is not to keep silent with a
vengeance, but to retain a degree of conviviality. So if someone shows interest
in your equipment or wonders where you're from, be open and friendly. If you
meet a poet along the track (this happened to me), stop and listen to his
stanzas even if the lines don't quite scan (his did). If you hear a song in your
head, feel free to sing out loud (as you won't always be cycling in a group,
nobody will mind). In fact, work towards letting go of the group and experience
the feeling of being completely alone in a foreign land.

5. Recognising and handling fear

This is the big one. As soon as we are away from our comfort zone, we
experience a form of fear which often drives us back to a position of the
familiar. Now if you're travelling in Canada and you spot a bear up ahead, it's
probably wise to stop and retire slowly to a safe distance. Or if you’re in the
depths of winter and you see a storm bearing down, then it's wise to take
shelter. These are real fears. What isn't helpful is the worrying fear of
getting somewhere late because you may have to find somewhere to camp where you
haven't planned. Just let go and a suitable place will turn up. On finding out
that you've taken a wrong turning, don't fret but instead explore the unexpected
and eventually the map will take care of things. If not, a passer-by comes to
the rescue and you can experience that lovely feeling of being looked after. Now
we are entering the area of serendipity, where fear starts to drop away and you
experience the reality where the self isn't always in control.
Another fear producing experience is listening to others, with comments like,
"can we do this?” or "they won't allow that". This is often a projection of
someone's own fear. For example, I often free camp: on the Danube cycle path I
found a clearing in the forest and put my tent up near a trailer. Just as I was
falling asleep the farmer drove in and told me it was forbidden to camp and
pointed out that the trailer was a mobile beehive. I reassured him in my most
polite English that I would leave first thing before the sun warmed up and the
bees became active. He seemed happy with that and left.
By the same token, it's sometimes better to be open. Once in Tuscany I saw a
clump of trees by a field up a farm track. As I was putting the tent up a boy
cycled up from the farm and said something in Italian which with my almost zero
languages, wasn't able to understand. He returned with dad who wanted me to join
them for supper and sleep in the farmhouse. I felt so silly having crept by
their property. What is important is your intention. After a while, when you
feel physically fit, you will be able to take what you would have considered
risks physically and mentally. That is the learning experience.

6. Handling competition

This is a strange one as we are so brainwashed into achieving. Questions
like: "How many miles have you done today?” "How long did it take to get up the
mountain – did you walk?" or "What! You put the bike on a train!" "I must have
the state-of-the-art machine and equipment." (The world-renowned writer and
cyclist Dervla Murphy used a three-speed sit up Hercules on her trip to
Afghanistan). By all means have a serviceable and roadworthy bike, but if the
going's too steep, get off and walk, experience the land by foot and work
another set of muscles. "I must keep up with that good-looking rider, can't let
them think I'm a wimp". If you pass by an interesting feature and your inner
guide says stop and have a look, it's so important to acknowledge and respond to
that voice. (For more on this, see "LISTENING" by Lee Coit ISBN 0-936
475-00-5)

7. On being assertive

This is important when cycling on ordinary roads, but on many routes you are
able to forget the busy world and manic cars. Eurovelo6 en.eurovelo6.org/ a 2,485-mile bicycle road
is one example – an amazing mostly traffic free route from the Atlantic at St.
Nazaire, France to the Black Sea, Romania. The EuroVelo 6 is one of 12 routes
network EuroVelo born at the initiative of the European Cyclists' Federation
(ECF) in 1994. Its objective is to follow three of the largest European rivers:
the Loire, Rhine and Danube. Watch out for the Lycra-clad 'Furters being more
than frank with cries of "ACHTUNG" on the Danube section in Germany.
Every four or five days, leave the bike alone, and, if you can, stay with the
locals. That makes it easier, as you can then enter their world. Even if they
don't adventure-cycle, they probably have other interest and passions. (I belong
to SERVASBRITAIN.ORG, which is a wonderful way to meet people.)

8. Have an adventure by yourself

So, finally we arrive at another biggy – going away by yourself. Not having
someone to share that wonderful market, or spectacular view. But don't worry –
there will be moments when you meet up with others to share the adventure, and
you won't fall into the trap of using your companion as a protection. But, you
will have to interact with strangers if need be, out of delightful interest.

Conclusion

Looking over these musings, they do seem rather directive. Please remember,
these are only ideas and my experiences. The important thing is to have your own
unique moments. As I get older, I often travel with a folding bike, as it's
easier to get on the train and bus. Whatever you buy, get the best that you can
afford. And finally, one of my more eccentric habits is to stop and pick up
stuff on the trail. I still have an umbrella from several years ago and a lamb's
wool sweater that after a wash was as good as new. This takes off the pain of
losing one's own stuff.

Before you venture abroad try some Sustrans routes. You’ll find information
on the Sustans website: www.sustrans.org.uk/. You might also enjoy
Land's End to John O'Groats: The Great British Bike Adventure by Phil Horsley –
a must for any warm-blooded peddler. For visiting Intentional Communities and
Ecovillages in Europe see EUROTOPIA.DE ISBN 3-00-007080-x. I recommend the
L'Arche communities inspired by Gandhi. For those not adverse to North America
and are particularly fearless try: Cycling the Great Divide by Michael McCoy
ISBN 0-89886 698-7 Mountaineers Books.org. I haven't done this route yet – but I
still dream that one. Do take an AMTRAK Visit USA Month Pass, it's easier with a
folder in a bag and have the ride of your life. Meet Americans as nice as apple
pie and stations like palaces. LA's Union Station is an Art Deco gem. Do take a
couple of days out in Tucson Arizona and cycle up Mount Lemon – 25 miles of
steady climb from 2,000 feet to 9,000 feet and back to the Señora Desert with
it's amazing cactus, and don't miss Savannah Georgia (fortunately General
Sherman did, thank god, it's a Colonial gem). Enjoy and have a nice day.

Anthony Golding is a keen cyclist and originator of the eight
principles of zycling. Now retired, he is enjoying life without a car.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 4, 2012Contact: Winona
Bateman(406) 532-2759wbateman@adventurecycling.org9 new indicators that bicycle travel and tourism are
boomingGlobally and in the U.S., bike tourism is becoming more popular and
lucrativeMissoula, Montana — As 2012 winds down, bicycle tourism and
travel are zooming upward. Recent studies and stories from around the world
indicate that bicycle travel of all kinds — short trips and long, luxury and
cheap, big events and small tours — is enjoying the kind of popularity not seen
since the 1970s, when bike touring experienced a major renaissance. Here are 9
new indicators that bike travel and tourism are booming:

European Bike Tourism Generates 44 Billion Euros
Annually: In September, researchers in the United Kingdom and the
Netherlands found that bicycle tourism (including day trips and overnight trips)
generates
44 billion Euros (or about $57 billion). The comprehensive study indicates
that the bike-tourism sector generates 2.3 billion cycle trips in Europe every
year and also takes visitors (and their money) to rural areas that are not often
visited by other tourists.

Greater Global Interest in Bike Tour Business:
This year at the Adventure Travel World Summit in
Lucerne, Switzerland, there were more
bike tour operators than ever. There were also many tour operators, which
have focused traditionally on walking and trekking tours, that are now edging
into bike travel as an alternative (and growing) revenue stream. Companies also
noted stronger demand for their bike-tour offerings. KE
AdventureTravel, based in England, has seen classic bike journeys such as
Bhutan’s Thunder Dragon Ride and Nepal’s Pokhara to Kathmadu attract double the
numbers that they did in 2011. KE has also added a variety of new road and
mountain biking tours in Rajasthan (India), Toubkal (Morocco), and Phuket
(Thailand). In the European
bike tourism study, researchers surveyed hundreds of bike tour operators on
the continent and found that they were seeing rising demand for cycling
adventures, whereas demand was flat in 2009.

Bigger Bike Route Networks in Development: Around
the world, countries, states, and provinces are creating bigger and better
bicycle route networks for use by locals and to attract tourists. In Quebec
Province, La Route Verte — a
system of urban, suburban and rural bikeways — has grown over the last five
years from 4,000 km to more than 5,000 km. In Europe, work has accelerated on
establishing EuroVelo, a 70,000 km continental system of
bike routes; the goal is to complete the network by 2020. In the U.S., agencies
and non-profits have begun creating an official U.S. Bicycle
Route System (USBRS). In the last two years, eight new U.S. Bicycle Routes
have been approved, and 41 states are now involved in planning, implementing,
and signing routes. At the state level, agencies are developing unique route
networks, some which will dovetail with the USBRS. For example, last year,
Oregon quadrupled the number of routes in its statewide scenic
bikeway system and is researching and mapping others. The states of
Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are working to develop a bike route system
around all of Lake Michigan. Also, in the Great Lake region, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust
recently announced that the Waterfront Trail, which extends along the shore of
Lake Ontario, will now extend westward to Lake Erie, connecting 27 new
waterfront communities along a signed, mostly on-road route.

More North America States and Provinces Studying Bike Tourism’s
Economic Impact: Until now, only two states in the U.S. (Wisconsin
and Colorado) had conducted in-depth studies of the economic impact of biking
and bike tourism. In Wisconsin’s case, researchers found that bike tourism
generated an
impressive $924 million from in-state and out-of-state visitors. In 2012,
three more states began economic impact studies, which will be completed in
2013: Oregon, Michigan, and Arizona. A new study of the economic impact of La
Route Verte, the provincial cycling network in Quebec Province, is also
underway.

U.S. Bike Events Expanding, Re-branding:
Attendance and fundraising at large multi-day bike events — like RAGBRAI
(Iowa), Ride the Rockies (Colorado), and the
popular Bike
MS events — are surging. In fact, the national organization of bike-event
directors has re-branded itself as the Bicycle Tour Network
(BTN) and, in November, experienced the largest turnout ever at its annual
conference in Denver, Colorado. The BTN has begun conducting an economic impact
survey of its member events and hopes to draw in smaller tour operators as part
of the network.

States Investing in Bike Tourism Public Relations:
In a clear indicator that states and tourism bureaus are realizing the financial
value of cycling tourists, 2012 witnessed the rollout of major investments by Oregon
and Minnesota in TV spots, websites, and other
public-relation devices to draw traveling cyclists to their states. Particularly
notable were videos produced for Oregon by the global ad firm Wieden+Kennedy,
and for Minnesota with the backing of a unique consortium of health, tourism,
and non-profit organizations. The race for the most bike-travel friendly state
is on!

Bike Tourism-Related Sales Take Off in the U.S.:
In October, the influential trade journal, Bicycle Retailer and Industry
News reported on the substantial increase in sales of gear and bikes for
touring in its story, “Touring
market racks up mileage at retail.” The same article also noted that bicycle
travel is becoming especially popular with a younger demographic.

Non-Profits Set New Records: Cycling non-profits
with a stake in tourism have enjoyed remarkable success in membership and
activity in 2012, from the re-branded Bicycle Tour Network to the International Mountain
Bike Association (IMBA) to Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure
Cycling's membership reached an all-time high in 2012 at 45,225 members and it
recently
reported records in all the major revenue categories — including
memberships, map sales, and tour sign-ups — a trend it attributes in part to the
new boom in bicycle travel.

# # #

Adventure Cycling Association inspires and empowers people to travel by
bicycle. It is the premier bicycle-travel organization in North America with
more than 45,000 members. Adventure Cycling produces cycling routes and maps for
North America, organizes more than 70 tours annually, and publishes the best
bicycle-travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist
magazine. With 41,420 meticulously mapped miles in the Adventure Cycling Route
Network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create
their own bike-travel adventures. Contact the office at (800) 755-BIKE (2453),
info@adventurecycling.org, or visit www.adventurecycling.